


I know you. But do you know me?

by silversky



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, So Much Fluff I'm Sorry, oh look there's angst too
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-01
Updated: 2016-05-05
Packaged: 2018-06-03 15:25:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6615733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silversky/pseuds/silversky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Young love can be hard, especially when you're a masked superhero. But masks aren't always physical, and as Marinette and Adrien open up to the ones they'd always disregarded, they find themselves hiding more than ever. Better to split oneself in two than lose the people you love, right? <em>[On indefinite hiatus}</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Adrien Posters

**Author's Note:**

> This is probably isn't gonna be near as plotty or...you know, _dramatic_ as the summary implies (I'm only 6 chapters in though so who knows). Each chapter is based on a prompt from [ Marichat May](http://miraculous-months-of-love.tumblr.com/mm/), but not in order of the list. If everything goes right you can expect daily updates as the month progresses. Title from Out of Mind by Magic Man, part of the playlist I made to get myself through writing this fic.  
>   
>  Also, to everyone waiting for the next chapter in Honesty...um, sorry? Inspiration's been a bitch lately, but hopefully I won't be too burned out by the end of the month and can churn that out after this is finished.

She was taking down the posters. Oh God, she was doing it, she was actually taking down the posters. Marinette crouched in the middle of her room, clenching a particularly glossy headshot of Adrien in her hands as she gasped for breath.

“Marinette, it’s okay,” Tikki squeaked. The kwami floated anxiously above the girl’s head, darting down to pat her cheek before zooming up again. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

“But I _do_ , Tikki. Or rather, I feel I should? That is…” Marinette cut herself off with a long, slow breath. She smoothed out the photo carefully, smiling sadly down at her posing classmate. “It's time I stop being so silly anyway.”

“Oh Marinette.”

“He likes Ladybug.” The knowledge still hurt. Adrien’s dreamy smile as he raved about her alter ego still ached in her memory, like an old battle wound on a rainy day. How had it only been a few hours? “I don’t stand a chance.”

“You _are_ Ladybug.” The kwami flew down to stare into Marinette’s eyes. “Everything he loves about her, he loves about you.”

Marinette sniffed. Great, and now she was crying too. What a perfect way to end the day. “But he doesn’t see those parts of me. He only sees Marinette—stupid, awkward, embarrassing Marinette—and he doesn’t think she’s anything special at all. No one does.”

“That’s not true. Alya loves you. Your parents love you. _I_ love you.” Tikki dropped down to rest on the photo, covering Adrien’s face. “If Adrien hasn’t noticed how amazing you are as Marinette, then that’s his fault, not yours.”

Marinette laughed wetly, tears flowing more freely down her face. “You think I’m amazing? I can hardly speak around him, it’s no surprise he isn’t interested.”

“Marinette, please listen to me.” Tikki’s voice was serious, reminding Marinette that her friend was literally thousands of years old. Yet here she was, giving a girl just shy of her sixteenth birthday relationship advice. “You can’t put all of yourself into one person. If Adrien isn’t making you happy then you shouldn’t keep trying to work your life around him.”

“You mean...you mean I should give up?” Taking down the posters, erasing his schedule, those were one thing. Those were stepping back from an all-consuming crush. But giving up completely? “Do you really think there’s no hope at all?”

“I think you deserve better!”

Marinette lost her balance and fell to the floor with a thump, eyes wide. Tikki never yelled. She soothed and laughed and guided and poked fun, but never raised her voice in anger. “W-What?”

Tikki flew back and forth in tight circles, like a human would pace in agitation. “You deserve better than someone who only loves half of you. You’re young and still finding your identity, but changing yourself to make him notice you is no solution at all. I want you to be happy, and this crush _doesn’t do that anymore_.”

Didn’t it? Loving Adrien was as instinctive by now as running off to transform when she heard about an akuma. But, it dawned on her, at some point it had stagnated. How long could she go on, stuttering her way through life because the boy she liked looked in her direction? Wasn’t she worth more than friendship in return for obsession? What was she missing with all her attention focused on someone who didn’t even see her?

Green eyes flashed in her mind. A shining grin in the dead of night.The sensation of strong arms wrapped around her body as they flew through the air.

“Oh no,” Marinette muttered, horrified. “Noooo no no no.”

“What is it?” Tikki went from angry to concerned in a heartbeat.

“ _Chat?_ ” she hissed. That was…ridiculous. Absurd. She didn’t like _Chat_. Sure she trusted him more than anyone she knew. Sure when she pictured her future it always featured two blond boys in starring roles, not just one. Sure the best parts of her day were recently becoming less and less her overwhelming conversations with Adrien, and instead more and more her exuberant runs through the city with her partner. But that didn’t mean anything!

“Weren’t we talking about Adrien?”

“Yes, exactly!” She had to stay focused. “Adrien’s the one I’m pining for, right? Liking two people at once is impossible anyway, it’s not like I could be falling in love with someone else and not…even…notice…”

Tikki stared at her. Marinette gaped back.

“I couldn’t!” she shrieked, jumping to her feet. The posters she’d been holding fluttered to the ground around her, forgotten. Her tears had stopped, rubbed away by distracted hands. Marinette closed her eyes, trying to center herself.

“I like Adrien,” she said aloud. Time to work through the problem. She had to go through the facts and be logical about this.

“True,” Tikki replied.

“Adrien likes Ladybug.”

“True.”

“I’m Ladybug.”

“True.”

“But Adrien doesn’t know that.” Marinette opened her eyes, crossing her arms comfortingly around her chest. “And he’s never shown any interest in me as Marinette.”

“Not as far as either of us can tell, no.”

Here was the point where things got scary. Did she really want to think about this? “Chat is one of my best friends,” she continued. “He makes me feel happy. He makes me feel safe.”

“And?” Tikki said slowly. Marinette didn’t expect any answers from her friend. Now, as always, her job was to lead her to making the right decision herself.

“And if Adrien hadn’t been around,” she whispered at last, “I probably would have fallen for him months ago.” Putting it into words, the feelings that had been creeping up on her for months without her seeing, was terrifying.

“Okay then.” Tikki flew to nuzzle against Marinette’s cheek. “So what are you going to do?”

“Hibernate in my room until the problem goes away?” Marinette joked, cupping the kwami with her hands.

“How about something a bit more realistic?” Tikki giggled.

“I think hiding from the situation is a perfectly realistic response,” Marinette grumbled. But Tikki was right. This wasn’t something she could take lightly.

“I need to think about this,” she said after a moment. It was the best she could do. “I like Adrien, but he’s so out of reach that waiting is killing me. I like Chat, but I’m not sure in what way. And whatever my feelings, there’s no telling if he’d like me back, as Ladybug or Marinette. Once I know how I feel...”

“You’ll what?”

Marinette braced herself. “Then I’ll choose.” Adrien or Chat. As Ladybug or Marinette. So many possibilities. So many ways it could all end in disaster.

“That’s all anyone can ask of you,” Tikki reassured her. “I’m proud of you Marinette, whatever you decide.”

“Thanks Tikki.” Marinette pulled her friend to her chest and sighed. “I just hope I make the right one.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, that happened. I know Tikki usually isn't written as angry or confrontational, but given the circumstances it made sense to have her act that way, if just for a bit. And don't worry, the Adrien situation isn't as bad as it seems. I just know from personal experience that long term crushes can be draining, and with the information Tikki and Marinette have that effort doesn't really seem worth it.


	2. Protective Chat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some actual Marichat interaction this time!

When Marinette’s parents had suggested they go out to dinner for her sixteenth birthday, this had not been what the girl had envisioned. All her previous birthdays, if they went out at all, had been celebrated at _Notre Petite Maison_ , a small cafe run by a friend of the family. But tonight, as Marinette had been excitedly flipping through a new design book from Alya, she’d been told they’d be going somewhere different. _Le Coq Rico_ to be exact, one of the nicest restaurants in Paris.

Now, ducking frantically behind an overturned table, she wished they’d chosen somewhere a little less fancy. Because this restaurant had a dress code. And a dress code meant no little pink purse, which meant nowhere to hide Tikki. And no Tikki, Marinette grumbled to herself as she searched for an escape route, meant no Ladybug.

In short, she was screwed.

“I AM THE WAITER!” the akuma shouted, brandishing an overlarge menu. He slammed it down in front of a fleeing diner, one of the last in the room, sending another shockwave through the restaurant. Marinette heard the clatter of falling pots and pans as he pressed a black gloved hand to the woman's forehead. Eyes blank, she fell unnaturally still.

“Good,” the Waiter cackled. “Now, instead of rudely complaining about your food you will _wait your turn_.”

Marinette fell flat to the ground as the Waiter’s gaze shifted in her direction. She couldn’t afford to be taken out of action, not when she hadn’t even found where the butterfly was hiding. Tikki was surely on her way (since the restaurant wasn’t far she’d stayed at the bakery) but until she showed up Marinette had to stay safe and alert. That meant no heroics, and no drawing attention to herself. It was a good thing she was alone—her parents having left right before the attack to grab their coats—or she’d have yet more to worry about.

“So what’s the story?” Chat whispered nonchalantly as he dropped down beside her. Marinette stifled the urge to scream. Where had he come from? And more importantly…

“What are you doing here?” she hissed. He was supposed to be distracting the akuma, figuring out its weak points until Ladybug arrived, not chatting up civilians! Especially civilians that were trying to hide. Hide from the akuma, and from their growing dilemma over exactly what they felt for the brash hero.

Chat smirked. “Saving the day of course. Which would be a lot easier to do if you would answer my question, dear Princess.”

Marinette’s traitorous cheeks turned pink at the nickname, a reminder that Chat knew her when her mask was off as well. Knew her, and liked her enough to remember his joking title. Seeing him now, for the first time since she’d begun balancing her feelings for him and Adrien, left her breathless. “Th-the story?”

Chat peeked over the table at the still ranting akuma. “On what happened here.” He looked back at her, green eyes gleaming. “It seems you’re my partner in crime once again Princess; I’m sure you can fill me in.”

Oh. So he was doing reconnaissance. She felt a little bad for doubting him now, even if it meant he wasn’t actually interested in her (which wasn’t relevant there was an akuma literally ten feet away why were her stupid feelings doing this to her??). “Right.”

Marinette pulled herself together. She was Paris’ protector, a fighter of evil, an honest to God superhero. Debilitating awareness of every move he made or not, she was going to do her job. “That guy.” She pointed at the Waiter, who was currently perusing his menu. “I think today was his first day. He was really stressed, trying to make sure everything was perfect, but the table next to mine wouldn’t stop complaining. When they finally left they told him they’d speak to the manager because he was, and I quote ‘spending far too much time at other tables, we have more important things to do than wait around because of your incompetence’.”

Chat winced. “Haven’t they ever heard that paw-tience is a virtue?”

“Nice one.” Marinette rolled her eyes. It was good to know that, even with the realization that ‘yes she liked Chat, she was head over heels how had she never noticed this?’ screaming in her head, she still saw the boy’s puns for the atrocities they were. “Haven’t _you_ ever heard that puns are the lowest form of humor?”

“Only to those too dull to appreciate the art.” Chat winked, then rested a comforting hand on her shoulder. Her bare shoulder, Marinette suddenly noticed. In the confusion of the attack the shawl she’d been wearing over her strapless dress (her own personal design, fancier and more adult than she was used to) must have fallen off. She hoped Chat didn’t see the way their nearness sent her heart into overdrive, but if the way his face scrunched in confusion she was, for once, out of luck.

“Marinette, are you—?”

“You should get going!” she blurted. It occurred to her that, while they’d been talking, the room had grown almost deathly quiet. A quick glance around the table and her suspicions were confirmed; the Waiter was gone, leaving behind nothing but overturned furniture and collapsed diners. “The room’s clear, so you can chase after him now.” And she could finally leave to go look for Tikki.

“Are you sure you’ll be safe here?” Chat asked seriously, tightening his grip on her shoulder.

 _‘I’ll be safer once you leave and I can transform._ ’ She bit her lip, nodding instead. “I’m sure. Now go Chat, before anyone else gets hurt.”

With one last worried glance Chat leapt over the table, using his baton to vault through the open door to the kitchen. Marinette lay flat on the ground and covered her face with her hands. Crap, she was so screwed. She’d get up in a moment, go be Ladybug and save the day, but first she needed a bit of time to lament how ridiculous she was. Getting a crush on her partner (something she couldn’t deny anymore, not with this much evidence) was one thing, but turning into a stuttering mess around him was another all together.

She wasn’t going to stand for it. If there was one thing Marinette knew about Chat Noir after a year of working with the boy, it was that she could trust him. As Marinette or Ladybug, there was no reason she should be scared. She just needed to keep reminding herself of that and she’d be fine. Or, as fine as she could be while apparently _crushing_ on someone who didn’t recognize her half the time.

“ _You!_ ” a venom-laced voice roared. Marinette jolted away, crashing into the table behind her.

The Waiter loomed menacingly, his masked face contorted in a horrific scowl. He must have doubled back to check the restaurant, arriving just in time to corner her while she was distracted and alone. “Your parents asked for the check early, just because you have school tomorrow. You made me rush!”

“That’s part of your job!” Marinette yelled in return. She felt a little bad about complicating the poor man’s night, especially if it helped lead to him being akumatized, but not enough to hold back her sass. No akuma was going to browbeat her, in costume or not.

Then the reality of her situation set in. She was trapped by an angry akuma with a personal grudge, untransformed and technically defenseless. A desperate search of her surroundings showed nothing she could use as a weapon; no debris, no broken furniture or dishes, let alone anything yo-yo shaped. Marinette steeled herself as the Akuma raised his menu. She would _not_ go down without a fight.

“Stay away from her!”

A black blur slammed into the Waiter, knocking him roughly to the ground. Chat’s teeth were bared as he locked his baton against his opponent’s neck. “You. Don’t. Touch. Her,” he growled, no trace of his customary humor in his voice.

Marinette gaped. The only times she’d seen Chat so enraged were when Ladybug was in danger. He barely knew Marinette, so why was he acting so protective? Was she that special without her mask?

“You need to run!” Chat shouted, struggling to keep the akuma down. The sight, more than his shout, shocked her out of her stupor. Her partner was in trouble, and if she wanted any chance of saving him, she needed to be Ladybug. It was time for Marinette to disappear.

“I’ll go get help!” she promised, kicking off her impractical heels as she scrambled away (she agreed with Chat 100%, the things were torture). Her luck finally returning, she ran straight into Tikki as she exited the restaurant.

“Spots on,” she gasped, not even bothering with a greeting. She’d apologize later, when her partner wasn’t in danger of being knocked unconscious or worse by a fuming service worker.

Less than a minute after leaving she bounded back into the room where she’d last seen Chat. The leather-clad teen was in a standoff with the akuma; both upright and on the offensive, but neither making any headway. “Hope you left some fight for me, kittycat.”

Chat beamed at her appearance. “Of course, my Lady.” Then he frowned, still holding off the akuma’s attacks. “There was a girl, did you see her? Cute dress, no shoes, looked about ready to bite someone’s head off?”

Marinette didn’t let his description, or his concern, faze her. “Marinette? She’s fine, I passed her on my way in.” She spun her yo-yo, blocking the Waiter’s next attack as she reached her partner. “She was worried about you.”

If she’d had time, Marinette would have wondered at the pleased yet confused grin Chat made at her admission. As it was, she barely heard him murmur “Good,” before she threw herself into the battle. Her discovery wasn’t important anymore. Those feelings belonged to Marinette, a girl who had the luxury of worrying about boys and crushes.

She was Ladybug now. And Ladybug had a job to do.

“Lucky Charm!”


	3. "I Like Someone Else"

“You’re joking.”

Marinette sighed. “Why is this so hard to believe Alya?”

Her friend spluttered for a few moments, putting down her phone in order to flail freely. “Why...why is it...Marinette!”

“What?!”

Alya reached across the table, taking Marinette’s hands in her own strong grasp. “You have liked this boy literally almost as long as I’ve known you. When I think Marinette, I think massive, debilitating crush on Adrien Agreste. It’s practically a part of your identity girl. And now you’re spontaneously over him?”

“That’s not it.” Marinette’s pigtails swept across her face as she shook her head. “I still like Adrien.”

“Then what’s the problem? Why the sudden ‘please stop trying to set me up with Adrien Alya, I don’t want to date him’? It’s like you’re a pod person.”

“He doesn’t like me back.” Or, rather, he did, but the wrong her. That wasn’t something she could tell Alya though, not without a lot of privacy to hide the inevitable yelling and probably a prepared speech. “And I’m not going to waste my life pining after a boy until he magically notices me. This isn’t some teen romcom.”

“So you’re moving on.” Alya squeezed Marinette’s hands comfortingly. “I guess that makes sense. In a strange world where you ever give up on anything. Are you sure you haven’t been akumatized? You’re past due, and this Adrien debacle’s for sure put a strain on your emotions.”

Here was yet another secret being Ladybug made her keep. She hadn’t yet had to explain why she was immune to akumas, but as time went by and the attacks kept coming it was going to get more suspicious. Marinette just hoped, as she’d hoped for the past year, that they defeated Hawkmoth soon. For everyone’s sakes.

“I’m fine, really,” she tried to reassure her friend. “It’s not like I’m going to ignore him completely. I’ve decided that if he wants to be friends with me then I’ll be his friend. We’d be good friends, I think, without all the drama of romance getting in the way. And friendship isn’t a consolation prize when you can’t go out with someone, it’s just different. So everything’s gonna be fine.”

Maybe if she said it enough she’d believe it. Because it wasn’t like giving up on Adrien didn’t hurt like hell. Alya was right: over the past year her crush had become a part of who she was. Letting that go was difficult to say the least. But Tikki had been right too when she said Marinette deserved better than to spend her teenage years hopelessly in love with someone who only appreciated part of her. And Adrien? Adrien deserved people who cared about him for who he was, not a potential relationship that blinded them to anything else. He’d been alone for so long, but now she was going to be the best goddamn friend he could ask for.

“When did you get so deep?” Alya shot her a tired smile. “You’re messing up my life’s plans, just so you know. I expected to be the maid of honor at your wedding. I was supposed to babysit your adorable blond children.” Her eyes grew wide. “Who’s gonna call me Aunt Alya now?!”

Marinette burst out laughing, drawing attention from customers at other tables in the busy cafe. She took a few deep breaths to calm down. “Alya, _relax_. The whole point of moving on from Adrien is so I can find someone else. I won’t be alone forever, trust me.”

Alya stilled. Her head tilted consideringly. Marinette drew her hand back as the girl across from her changed from Alya: Supportive Best Friend, to Alya: Reporter Extraordinaire. “Wh-what is it?”

“You’re too calm about this,” Alya said suspiciously. “When you give up on someone there’s always a few weeks of moping. Sure, you’re sad, but nowhere near as broken up as you should be. It’s almost like…” She gasped.

Marinette winced preemptively.

_“Do you like someone else?!”_

Rather than shrieking, as Marinette had expected, Alya hissed the words out deep and quiet. The low volume didn’t lessen their intensity in the slightest. She felt like she was on trial, or being interrogated by the police. Her cheeks began to burn unconsciously.

“You like someone else.” Alya fell back into her seat, stunned. “Mon Dieu. Is it Nathaneal?”

“No!” Marinette blushed deeper at her accidental confirmation. “I mean...I don’t…”

“Just admit it,” Alya said, pointing her finger accusingly. “I don’t know how you hid it this long, but the jig is up.”

“Fine,” Marinette groaned. “I…” She glanced around, making sure none of their classmates had entered the cafe, then whispered, “I like someone else. Maybe.”

She didn’t know where things stood with Chat Noir. As Ladybug she loved him with a deep trust that made her feel complete, as if they were two halves finally made whole. But that didn’t necessarily translate into romantic love, at least on his end. She couldn’t tell if changing their relationship would make them better partners, or ruin them completely. All she knew was that when he was around, she felt safe. And that as Marinette, his cocky grins made her as giddy as Adrien’s sweet smiles still did.

“What do you mean, ‘maybe’?” Alya asked, complete with quotation mark fingers. Her face was decidedly unimpressed.

“I mean maybe I do, maybe I don’t.” Marinette stared down at her hands, twining together nervously on the table. “This isn’t what I’m used to. He’s loud and silly and brave and…” She trailed off, unsure how to properly describe her partner without giving away his identity, or hers. How could she explain what Chat meant to her, how his support made her feel strong in the scariest battles, how his jokes made her feel like, even if she lost everything else, she’d always have the memory of laughter?

“Does he like you back?” Alya said after a lengthy pause. “Cause you sound serious, God help us all, but going right from one unrequited crush to another is no way to rebound.”

And that was the question, wasn’t it? Marinette had a hard time believing that Chat’s flirting, a facet of their relationship from the very beginning, was genuine. And even if it was (the thought of which sent her stomach fluttering), Marinette wasn’t Ladybug. She wasn’t the strong, vibrant, fearless hero of Paris Chat knew. He seemed to like her civilian side well enough when they’d met, if his trust of her during their fight with the Waiter said anything, but what if finding out awkward and shy were parts of Ladybug as well was too much? What kind of person would be enamoured with both sides of her?

“I don’t know.” Marinette forced herself to sit up straight, pulling on the confidence she’d been gaining over the past year. She’d made her decision—Chat over Adrien, new love over old heartbreak—and couldn’t stew in her doubts forever. Chat either liked Ladybug, or he didn’t (the possibility that he could like Marinette was so ridiculous she pushed it away immediately). “But I’m going to find out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've gone over this chapter a dozen times, but something still feels off idk. Hopefully you all liked it?


	4. In Denial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First Adrien POV chapter! We're now getting into the chapters that are actually, you know, _related_ to each other, which is very exciting I'm sure :P  
>   
>  Also, since I know this is something that varies from fic to fic, I want to explain how characters will be referred to. Basically if it's in Adrien's POV he will be called Adrien whether or not he's transformed as Chat Noir, and the same applies to Marinette and Ladybug during her chapters. They'll still think of each other as their alter egos when they're transformed even ~~after~~ if they find out, but imo a person's going to think about themselves as their name whether or not they're a superhero. Just wanted to let you guys know, so there isn't any confusion.

Adrien wasn’t doing anything strange. It was perfectly normal to check up on a classmate, a friend, when they started acting out of the ordinary, wasn’t it? He was just being considerate.

_‘Since when did being considerate include stalking?’_

After becoming Chat Noir Adrien’s inner voice had begun to sound a lot like Plagg. He didn’t appreciate the change.

“This isn’t stalking,” Adrien muttered to himself. He crouched a little lower, ears flat against his head as he crept towards the edge of the roof. Across the street Marinette leaned against her balcony railing, gazing out at the city. “It’s not.”

Marinette sighed, deep enough that Adrien could see it from his far off vantage point. She looked tired, sad. That wasn’t news though; it was the whole reason he was here. The past few days Marinette had seemed distracted. She’d been unusually quiet in class, staring into space instead of joining group discussions, and even around Adrien, who usually elicited intense reactions, she’d begun acting lethargic and distant.

The last straw, for Adrien at least, had come that afternoon. After disappearing with Alya for all of lunch Marinette had returned with a determined gleam in her eye. He’d hoped maybe she’d come to a decision about whatever was bothering her (maybe it had to do with the akuma attack she’d been involved in? Adrien had been scared enough just watching her be threatened; it must have been far worse for Marinette), that now things would go back to normal. And then the inexplicable had happened—she’d smiled at him. Not her usual smile, anxious and strained, as if it were taking all her strength not to run away. No, this smile was perfectly…ordinary. It was how he’d seen her look at Alya dozens of times, friendly and caring, but with no mysterious current of something else running beneath.

Adrien hated it.

He felt like something had been stolen from him, like he’d had a gift he’d been too blind to notice until it was taken away. Not that he wanted her to stay scared of him, not at all. But Marinette was one of his first friends, had made him laugh on that rainy day when he’d thought he’d be alone forever. There’d been something special between them, even if he didn’t quite know what it was. And now it was gone. It was gone and something was wrong with Marinette and if he had to become Chat Noir to find out why then that’s what he’d do.

Movement shook him from his musings. Marinette had swung herself over her railing and was leaning precariously out over the street. She swayed with the late night breeze, eyes closed, face slack. Adrien’s blood went cold. She…she wouldn’t…

Scarcely without thinking his baton was extended and he was flying towards his classmate. His mind was laser focused on getting to her, _now_.

“Marinette!” The girl gasped, head darting up to find the source of his shout. The jerky motion pushed her off balance and she slipped forward.

Eyes locked on Adrien’s, she fell.

Marinette had barely begun to scream when Adrien crashed into her. With the superhuman speed the transformation granted him he twisted, his back hitting the Dupain-Cheng bakery instead of her. Arms locked tightly around his passenger he flipped them upwards, baton just catching the railing above them. He heaved, swung, and in a matter of seconds they were back on the relative safety of the roof.

Heart pounding, Adrien did nothing but pant for a few seconds. Then a small voice asked, “Chat?”

Adrien opened his eyes and took stock of his surroundings. He was flat on his back, Marinette clutched to his chest, trapped by his shaking body. About to release her, he was shocked by the jolt of panic that ran through him. No, she was much safer in his arms.

“Chat,” Marinette repeated, words muffled by their position. “Are you okay?”

Was _he_ okay? She was the one who’d almost died. A second slower and he would have missed. She’d have slipped from his grasp and that would have been it. No more beautiful designs, the work of a true prodigy. No more adorable laughter, lighting up his gloomy days. No more…no more Marinette.

“Chat Noir!” With greater strength than Adrien knew she possessed Marinette wrenched herself from his grip. Delicate hands pressed against his cheeks as she stared down at him. “Talk to me!”

“I made you fall,” he whimpered. Because he had, he realized. While certainly not safe, Marinette had been in control of the situation until he’d jumped in. He’d overreacted, and if she’d gotten hurt it would have been _his fault_. Adrien closed his eyes again as shame flooded his still trembling body.

Soft fingers brushed against his face, trailing up to stroke his hair. “Oh kitty,” Marinette murmured. “It’s alright. You saved me too.”

“You’re not angry?” he asked, pleaded. He didn’t understand why she was being so kind. Ladybug would never be so stupid, would never endanger a civilian because of her own feelings. He was such a failure.

“Chat, look at me.”

Adrien couldn’t help but obey her command. Above him blue eyes sparkled with worry. She smiled gently, and for brief moment she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

“I’m not angry. You thought I was in danger and reacted; that’s not stupid, that’s admirable.” Marinette sat back, pulling him up with her. “You’re a hero.”

Adrien’s thoughts were faint, teetering helplessly on the edge of a cliff. One small movement and he would be lost—to what he didn’t know, but it was big, the reality of it swirling all around him, just out of sight.

“I will admit I’m a little confused why you were here in the first place,” Marinette continued, abruptly staring intently at her lap, “but I got to see you again, and without an akuma attack too, so I’m not complaining.”

“Just patrolling,” Adrien heard himself say. After all, what reason would Chat Noir, whose last interaction with Marinette had been a cry to run during an akuma attack, have to visit her in the middle of the night? Really, what reason did Adrien have? His balance on the brink of discovery was failing, the winds of fate roaring in his ears, brushing all his excuses away.

The girl before him glanced up through her eyelashes, grinning cheekily. Still, Adrien could have sworn he saw a hint of disappointment in her eyes. “You go around rescuing a lot of girls then?”

“No.” Adrien reached forward instinctively, resting a gloved hand against Marinette’s cheek. He rescued many people as Chat Noir, it was true, but none of them stood out as much to him as his pyjama-clad classmate did right now. As much as she had for a while. “You’re special Marinette. I…” He trailed off, unsure what he’d meant to say. He was so close.

“You what?” The words came out in a whisper. Marinette’s face was pale, her voice hesitant. Adrien swayed forward, reliving the feeling of having almost lost her, and suddenly, in a flash like lightning, knew exactly what he meant.

“I like you, Marinette.”

The truth was out.

His heart was torn.

Adrien fell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI in case any of you were worried, Marinette was _in no way_ doing what Adrien thought she was. Since he doesn't know she's Ladybug he's of course going to think high places are dangerous, but she is both well aware of her limits and ready to transform if she gets into a situation her civilian self can't handle (aka what she was about to do when Adrien caught her). This fic is angsty, but it's not gonna get that dark.


	5. Possessive Kitty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This...technically fits the prompt? Tbh this was mostly a chapter that I knew needed to be written, so I found a prompt that I could work in.

Adrien was in trouble.

Adrien was in _so much_ trouble.

Unbidden, the memory of the previous night’s misadventures rose in his mind. The way Marinette’s loose hair had twisted tantalizingly in the breeze. The way his skin had felt on fire wherever they’d touched, even through his suit. The way her gentle gasp at his revelation had turned his already frazzled mind to mush.

The way he’d then panicked, jumping off the building and running home before she had the chance to reply.

Adrien buried his burning face in his arms, groaning miserably. “I’m such an idiot.”

“This is not news dude,” Nino said, not looking up from the last minute assignment he was rushing through. “I was there the day you found out not everyone has the Sailor Moon intro memorized. I harbor no illusions.”

“Sailor Moon is a masterpiece and you’re all plebeians.”

“So I’ve heard,” Nino sighed. “Multiple times. Now are you gonna tell me what’s up, or do I have to call in the Alya Interrogation Squad?”

Adrien peered up at his best friend. If there was anyone he could talk to about this, it was Nino. The boy was smart about people, a skill Adrien was still frustratingly trying to catch up on, and absolutely trustworthy. He wouldn’t lie, and more importantly, wouldn’t push. “Have you ever thought you knew someone?” He picked his words carefully, trying his best to balance required vagueness with understanding. “But then you meet them somewhere else, as _someone_ else, and you realize you had the totally wrong impression?”

“Well yeah,” Nino said offhandedly. “All the time. It’s pretty normal.”

“How can one person having completely different personalities be _normal?”_ He could still hardly believe that the Marinette he knew as Chat was the same girl he knew as Adrien. In the year they’d known each other Adrien had just recently managed to get her using full sentences around him. Whereas Chat? Around Chat, a boy she’d met only a handful of times, she was strong, determined, unafraid. He was attracted to both sides of her, the sweet and the bold, but the disconnect was baffling.

“Like you’re one to talk.” For a moment Adrien was sure Nino was referencing his being Chat Noir (how did he know when did he find out did he tell anyone???) but then the boy continued. “I mean, I’ve seen you when you’re modeling. If that was the only way I knew you I’d think you were a whole other person.”

“Really?”

“For sure.” Nino nodded. “Trust me, that Adrien? No one would suspect he’s actually a massive nerd—”

“Hey!”

“—the dorkiest of dorks. The king of weebs, if you will.”

“Very funny, you’ve made your point,” Adrien grumbled, kicking his friend in the leg.

“But I digress,” Nino smirked. “What I’m trying to say is that everyone has different sides to them. If you’re seeing someone in a new light, that probably just means you’re getting to know them better. It’s a good thing.”

Adrien wasn’t going to deny that. Every time Marinette and Chat had met he’d felt closer to the girl as Adrien too. Without the combined knowledge from her interactions with both his identities he doubted he’d have ever grasped what he felt for her. The overwhelming, stomach-churning extent of how far he’d fallen. He didn’t know how he was supposed to talk to her now, without babbling or screaming or…or revealing his identity oh no what if he slipped up and told her? About any of it? Adrien couldn’t get a crush on Marinette, not so soon after Chat revealed his own. There were coincidences, and then there was just being obvious.

“You still haven’t told me how you screwed up though.”

Nino’s voice shook Adrien from his imminent breakdown and the teen blushed. “I…may have been a little surprised at the difference.”

“And?”

“And said something stupid before running away. Literally.” God, it sounded so pathetic when he said it out loud, and Nino didn’t even know the whole story.

“Dude!” Nino valiantly tried to hold back his laughter but it kept escaping in spurts. “How have you gotten this far in life with this little ability to talk to people?”

Adrien was about to defend himself (how he wasn’t quite sure, considering his friend was absolutely right) when she walked in.

Marinette.

She was giggling over something on Alya’s phone, not watching where she was going as she made her way to her seat. The sound made Adrien wish he were the one bringing her such joy. He wanted to turn and make a pun, a million puns, until her laugh was the only thing he could hear. He wanted to leap over her desk and bury his face in her hair, professing his adoration the entire time. He—

“Adrien!” Nino was snapping his fingers in front of Adrien’s face. He blinked, unclenching his hands from their merciless grip on each other. His fingers ached from the force he’d been using to keep himself still.

“I’m fine,” he grunted. What the hell had that been?

“Riiight,” Nino drawled. “Cause that was totally normal. I’m gonna assume random blackouts are another side affect of you secretly being an alien, that cool?”

Adrien nodded. It was all he could do. Even now, as Madame Bustier began her first lesson of the day, the urge to take Marinette’s hand and never let go was overwhelming. It was like, now that he understood what he was feeling, everything to do with his crush was turned up to eleven. She was his, just as Nino was his, and Paris and Ladybug and—

Adrien’s thoughts skidded to a stop. _Ladybug_. What was he doing, falling over himself for Marinette when he’d already declared himself to his Lady? He’d promised himself he’d wait as long as it took for Ladybug to realize his affections were genuine, yet here he was, aching for another. She deserved better than a fickle heart; so did Marinette.

_‘The solution’s simple then: you have to choose.’_

Adrien flinched at the awareness. He didn’t _want_ to choose. Ladybug was his everything, the blazing sun illuminating his lonesome nights. But Marinette had somehow crept in too, a golden thread of safety and comfort wrapped around his heart. They were both irreplaceable.

_‘But only one returns your feelings.’_

Ladybug was unimpressed by Chat; there was no reason to think she’d be any more likely to fall for Adrien. Marinette on the other hand…with her he might have a chance. Counter to all reason she was more relaxed around Chat than he’d ever seen her around his civilian self. Relaxed enough to see him as a person, with fears and flaws, but still admire him anyway. Despite the mask, Adrien got the feeling Chat wouldn’t have to pretend with her. And if the way she’d seemed so attuned to him during their past few meetings was any indication, she might even already like him back.

 _‘I’ll always have Ladybug,’_ he thought to himself. _‘She’s my partner and nothing’s going to change that. Not even giving up.’_

He would always love her, he couldn’t change that aspect of himself. With Marinette though was the opportunity to be loved in return. Was it so wrong to want that?

No. Adrien wanted her, that beautiful, amazing girl he’d let slip by for far too long. And Marinette (he hoped with all his might) wanted part of him as well. As long as he kept the two sides of himself separate, everything would be perfect.

Really.

What could go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do any of y'all watch Supernatural? Because I do and it's a little hard to write about teen romance when you're busy contemplating the nature of God (also hard to write period after being exposed to the masterpiece that was last night's episode, like why even try I'll never be that good @robbie teach me your skills). Anyway this is basically me giving you an excuse for why I'm probably gonna start missing days soon. My stockpile of pre-written chapters is running low and what with where my headspace is at today I doubt I'll get anything good done. I won't give up though! This fic is getting finished so help me Chuck.


End file.
